Electric heater controller



Jan. 24, 1950 c. w. KUHN ETIAL 2,495,461

ELECTRIC HEATER CONTROLLER Filed Dec. 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 24, 1950 c. w. KUHN ETAL 2,495,461

ELECTRIC HEATER CONTROLLER Filed Dec. 29, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ES'M Z,

aa as k Patented Jan. 24, 1950 ELECTRIC HEATER CONTROLLER Clarence W. Kuhn and Edwin W. Seeger, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignors to, Cutler-Hammer, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware Application December 29, 1947, Serial No. 794,236.

6 Claims.

This invention relates to control of electric heaters and is particularly advantageous for control of heaters of the tubular sheathed type.

As for example for surface heaters of ranges, the tubular sheathed heater has become the popular type and there is a demand for a simpler and more effective adjustable automatic control therefor than has yet been proposed. Provision of such simpler and more effective adjustable automatic control is a primary object of the instant invention.

As ordinarily constructed tubular sheathed heaters have sheathed portions adjacent their terminal extremities confined to moderate temperatures and it is a further object to utilize the heat and temperature gradient of such a portion to afford regulable automatic control through the medium of a thermal switch.

Another object is to provide for mounting of the thermal switch on the aforementioned sheath portion of the heater whose heat and temperatures are to be utilized for control and to obtain adjustment of control by shifting the position of the switch lengthwise of said portion of the heater.

Another object is to provide control of the aforementioned type which affords maintenance of a desired heat output from a controlled heater at any of many values between off and fully on.

Another object is to provide control of the aforementioned type which further affords initial energization of a. heater at a maximum rate until a desired value of heat output therefrom is attained.

Another object is to provide control of the aforementioned type which is responsive-to the sum of effects produced by heat output of the heater and rate of heat transferto the media being heated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter appear.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention which will now be described, it being understood that the embodiment is susceptible of various modifications without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of an electric grid plate together with a control device therefor.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 1, it shows an electric grid plate H, amounting ring [2, a reflector pan 3 55 A for the grid plate It and an adjustable control device. [4 which is provided for controlling the energization of the grid plate II.

The grid plate. [I comprises two interwoven heating elements l5 and I6 of the tubular sheathed type. Heating elements [5 and I6 are supported centrally with respect to the reflector pan [3 and the guard ring 12 by means of a conventional type of supporting spider I1. A notch is provided, in mounting ring I2 to afford clearance for the terminal ends of heating elements l5 and 16 which extend outwardly beyond the former. A terminal block l8 formed of a suitable moulded insulating material is provided for support of the terminal end portions I5 and [5 of heating element l5 and also for support of the terminal end portion Hi of heating element It. The other end of heating element 16 extends through the terminal block l8 and has an exposed right angle portion [6 which extends in a straight line and terminates at a terminal l6. The terminal ends [5 and Iii of heating elements l5 and [6. respectively, are electrically connected in a series relation. Terminal end l5 of heating element i5 is electrically connected to the power supply line L and terminal end It of heating element [6 iselectrically connected to the wiring terminal I!) of the control device l4. Device M is also provided with a wiring terminal 26' which is connected to power supply line L The control device I4 is slidably supported on the aforedescribed portion [6 of heating element l6 being slidably attached by a pair of saddle brackets 2| and 22 which are best shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Device II has a gulde23 slidable in a guideway 24 provided on the face I8 of terminal block 1 B as best shown in Fig. 3.

A lever 25 is pivotally connected at 28 to the control device l4 and is supported on a fixed pivot 21. The free end of the lever 25 is extended upwardly to form a handle 25*. The lever 25 is provided to effect sliding movement of the control device l4 along the portion lB of the heating element 16 when said lever is moved about pivot 21. As will be later apparent, such movement of the control device It provides for adjustment of the ratio of the time the heating elements [5 and iii are energized to the time that they are deenergized and also provides, when the control device is moved to one extreme position, for a positive .oif condition of said heaters.

Control device ll generally considered comprises a thermally responsive switch of the normally closed type which is adapted to operate to an open condition for circuit interruption upon attainment of a given thermal condition. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the structure herein disclosed for control device I4 is more or less schematically depicted and is exemplary only of one device which will operate to provide the desired control. It will be apparent that other thermally responsive electric switches of th normally closed type can also be used.

Referring particularly to Fig. 2, control device i4 is provided with a frame 28 formed from sheet metal, a contact and terminal mounting block 29 preferably formed of a molded insulating material, and a cup 36 which embodies a thermally re-, sponsive element. The block 29 and the cup 30 are suitably secured to the frame 28 oppositely with respect to one another.

The cup 30, preferably formed of sheet metal, is provided with a thin metallic diaphragm 3| which extends transversely across the inside thereof and is suitably secured to the inner side walls of the cup to form asealed chamber 32 within the cup. The chamber 32 is provided with a limited fill of a suitable thermal fluid. The diaphragm 3| is adapted to warp concavely upwardly from the inner bottom of the cup 3|! on increase in temperature of the latter due to the vapor pressure developed by its thermal fluid. A loading spring 33 of helical coil form abuts at one end against the diaphragm 3| and at its other end against a nut 34 and provides opposition to the movement of the diaphragm 3|. The nut 34 is non-rotatable and has threaded engagement with an adjusting screw 35 which extends outwardly of the block 29 through opening 36. The adjusting screw 35 is provided with an enlarged portion 35 which bears on its upper side against the portion of block 29 surrounding the opening 36. A rod 37 is rigidly attached at one end to the upper side of diaphragm 3| and is provided at its other end with a portion which extends at right angles to the shank portion of the same so as to overlie a pivoted lever 38.

The lever 38 is adapted to be pivotally moved between upper and lower extreme positions as determined by fixed stops 38 and 38 which are positioned adjacent its free end. Lever 38 is operatively associated with a pivoted lever 39 through the medium of an over-center spring 40 which is attached at opposite ends to the respective levers. The free end of lever 39 engages a contact operating member 4| within a bearing notch 4| formed in the latter. The system comprising levers 38 and 39 and spring 40 provides a well-known type of snap acting mechanism affording rapid movement of the member 4| in the upward and downward directions. Lever 38 normally tends to assume an upward extreme position due to the bias of spring 49 thereby to move the member 4| to its upward extreme position. When the cup 30 is subjected to temperatures below a given value the rod 3'! is adapted by means of its portion overlying lever 38 to move the latter to its lower extreme position. Under the latter condition lever 39 also assumes its lower extreme position due to the action of the spring 40 and consequently the member 4| is moved to its lower extreme position. Upon increase in temperature of the cup 30 above an other given value the rod 31 moves upwardly and away from the lever 38 thereby permitting the latter, lever 39 and member 4| to assume their respective upward extreme positions as aforedescribed. As will be later apparent a fixed differ-' ential exists between the values of temperature at which levers 38 and 39 move with snap action to the upward and downward extreme positions aforedescribed.

Member 4| is adapted to move between its aforementioned upward and downward extreme positions within a guideway 29 formed in block 29. A lug portion 29 of block 29 extends outwardly into guideway 29 and projects within a cooperating notch 4 l formed in member 4|. Lug 29 and notch 4| as will be apparent, provide for limiting the extent of upward and downward movement of member 4! and they also provide for the aforementioned fixed differential between the temperatures at which levers 38 and 39 move with snap action to their respective upward and downward extreme positions. If the length of notch 4| were increased or decreased, the differential would be correspondingly increased or decreased due to the fact that the upward and/or downward extreme positions of the end of lever 39, which engages member 4| within the bearing notch 4|, would be changed. Member 4| is also provided with a bearing notch 4| adja cent its upper end to engage the end of a movable contact member 42.

Member 42 is provided with contacts 43 and 44 which cooperate respectively with the stationmy contacts 45 and 46 which are mounted in the block 29. The contact 45 is electrically connected with the wiring terminal 20 and the contact 45 is electrically connected with the wiring terminal l9. A compression spring 41 bears at one end against the block 29 and its other end against the upper side of the member 42. The spring 4'! tends to move the member 42 downwardly so that its contacts 43 and 44 are in bridging engagement with the contacts 45 and 46 thereby to afford completion of an electrical circuit. However, when member 4| is moved to its upward extreme position by the lever 39 as aforedescribed, the member 42 is pivotally moved in the upward direction about the contact 45 and against the bias of the spring 41 so as to effect disengagement of the contact 44 from the contact 46 whereby interruption of an electrical circuit is afforded.

A bell crank lever 48 has one arm 48 extending through a slot formed in the side of frame 26 so as to engage at its extreme end within a bearing notch 4| formed in the member 4| adjacent the lower end of the latter. Lever 48 is pivotally connected to an outwardly extending bracket portion 28 of frame 28 at the juncture of its arms 48 and 48 The arm 48 is integrally connected with an arm 48 which extends at right angles therefrom and oppositely with respect to the arm 48 The arm 48 is provided with an enlarged end portion which is adapted to engage with an outwardly extending portion l8 of terminal block l8. As will be apparent when control device I4 is moved along the portion Hi of heater element |6 to the position depicted by solid lines in Fig. 1, the end portion of arm 48 will engage with the portion W and effect clockwise pivotal movement of lever 48. Such movement of lever 48 causes the member 4| to be moved to its upward extreme position aforedescribed thereby effecting disengagement of the contact 44 from the contact 46. Thus it will'be seen that by moving the control device I 4 to this extreme position a positive 01f condition of the device is efiected regardless of the thermal condition'of the cup 30.

The operation of the grid plate I I under the control of the device M will now be described. As

76 shown in Fig. 1, the device I4 is in the positive "off condition and the circuit from the power supply line L through the heatingelements I5 and I6 through the control device hi to supply line L is in an open condition clue to the dis engagement of the contacts 44 and All in the control device M. As the lever 25 is moved to the right from the oil position shown in Fig. l to an intermediate position depicted by broken lines, the control device It will be moved to the left to an intermediate position also depicted in broken lines. During such movement'the lever 48 moves out of engagement with'the terminal block IS and lever 48 is thereby permitted to pivotally move in the counterclockwise direction to allow memv her All to move downwardly to its lower extreme position assuming the thermostat to be cool. The contacts t3 and 64 will then be bridged by the contacts 45 and 45 and the aioredescribed circuit will be completed through the control device 94 to eiiect energization of 'the'heater elements I5 and I6. Ultimately when sufiicient heat is imparted to the cup 38, due to heating of the heating element exposed end portion 95*, the vapor pressure in the chamber 32 increases and the diaphragm BI warps upwardly against the opposition of the loading spring 33. The upward warping of the diaphragm SI causes simultaneous upward movement of the rod 37. When the rod 31 has moved upwardly a suliicient amount, the levers 38 and 39 will move upwardly with action to assume their upward. extreme position as aforedescribed. The members All and 42 are thereby moved upwardly to effect disengagement of the contacts 44 and 6t whereupon the circuit is interrupted and the heating el'ements I5 and It are deenergized.

The heating elements I5 and I6 then cool and the temperature of the cup Bildecreases. When the temperature of the latter has decreased below the given value first mentioned in the foregoing, reverse action of the control device is occurs and heating elements l and'lfi'are ultimately reenergized by re-engagement of contacts 45 and 4E. The aforementioned cycle of operation of the control device it is then repeated continuously until it is moved to the position vvherethe positive "off is effected.

Control device l4 may be moved to any positlon along the portion ifi of the heating ele V ment .i d between the extreme position at the rigl' it end of the latter where the positive off condition is effected and the point where the element I6 bears at right angles toward the mounting ring I2. Moving device Id closer to the latter position effects a decrease in the ratio of the time the con tacts $3 and 3G are closed to the time that they are open for the same thermal conditions. This is due to the fact that a definite temperature gradient exists along the portion Hi of element I6 which decreases in the direction of the end terminal l6 whenever the heating element I6 is energized.

Referring to Fig. 2, it shows a preferred form of construction for a helical coil resistor It which is encased within the heating element I6. That portion of resistor I$ which lies within the portion Ni of element 15, is constructed in the form of a gradually attenuated helix with the space between adjacent coils gradually increasing toward the terminal end I6. Adjacent the end Hi it is connected to a terminal member I6 which projects outwardly from the casing end. Such a form for the resistor I6 provides for a gradual temperature gradient along the sheath of the portion lo of heating element I6 when above the temperature determined above.

6 the latter is energized by control device I4. As will be apparent, a gradual temperature gradient along the straight portion of heating element I6 is desired in order that the change in the period of cycling of the control device I4 will bear a substantially linear relationship with respect to the distance the latter is moved between interme-;. diate positions along the portion I6 of heating element I6. If desired, a conventional type of resistor can be used in place of the resistor I6 1; but the temperature gradient produced along the sheath of the portion 6t will not be as gradual as when the preferred form of resistor Ifi is used.

The operatingtemperatures of control device I4 is determined by the degree of tension exerted bythe loading spring 33 on diaphragm 31*. The tension of spring 33 may be changed by ap propriate adjustment of the adjusting screw 35 with respect to the nut 35. As aforedescribed. a fixed differential exists between the tempera? ture at which control device It will operate to its open circuit condition and the temperature at which it will operate to return to its. closed circuit condition. Adjustment of the screw 35 as aioredescribed shifts these temperatures upwardly or downwardly, as the case may be, by the same amount.

As will be. apparent, the control device I4 will operate at definite temperatures depending upon the aforedescribed adjustment. Preferably the desired setting is arrived at by first determining the position of control device I4 on the portion I6 of heating element I6 where the lever 48 just disengages the portion I8 of block I8 to permit the former to operate to its circuit closed condition from the aforedescribed positive off condition. Then the maximum steady temperature attained by the portion li of heating element I6 in contact with the cup 30 in such po; sition, during continuous energization of the former, is determined. Control device I4 is then adjusted by means of the adjusting screw 35 to operate from its circuit closed condition to its circuit open condition at a temperature slightly Such a setting will provide for continuous energization of heating elements I5 and IS in the above de scribed position of control device I4 and will insure that the latter will provide cycling control in all intermediate positions to the left along the portion 16 of heating element I6; the period of such cycles decreasing in a direct relation to the distance the control device I4 is moved to the left along the straight portion of element l6.

As will be apparent control device I4, following initial movement of the same from the position where its positive 01f condition is effected to an intermediate position on the element IE, will have a first cycle of operation which is variable with respect to time depending upon the quantity and rate of heat absorption of the media being heated. This is due to the fact that the aforementioned temperature gradient along the straight portion will build up to its maximum on steady temperature values at an inverse rate to the decrease in rate of heat absorption by the media being heated.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination, an electric heater of the tubular sheathed type having a portion of its sheath characterized by having between points spaced longitudinally thereof a temperature gradient as an incident to energization of said heater, a circuit completing and interrupting means for said heater comprising a thermally responsive control element in heat exchange relation with said sheath portion of said heater. and means for adjusting the position of said thermally responsive element along said sheath portion of said heater to utilize the temperature gradient of the latter for adjustment of control by said means.

2. In combination, an electric heater of the tubular sheathed type having a portion of its sheath characterized by having between points spaced longitudinally thereof a temperature gradient as an incident to energization of said heater, a circuit completing and interrupting means for said heater comprising a thermally responsive control element in direct contact with said sheath portion of said heater, and means for adjusting the position of said thermally responsive element along said sheath portion of said heater to utilize the temperature gradient of the latter for adjustment of control of said means.

3. In combination, an electric heater of the tubular sheathed type having a portion of its sheath characterized by having between points spaced longitudinally thereof a temperature gradient as an incident to energization of said heater, a circuit completing and interrupting unit for said heater slidably mounted on said sheath portion of said heater and comprising a thermally responsive control element in direct contact with said sheath portion of said heater, and means for adjusting the position of said thermally responsive element along said sheath portion of said heater to utilize the temperature gradient of the latter for adjustment of control by said unit.

4. In combination, an electric heater of the tubular sheathed type having a sheathed end portion characterized by having between points spaced longitudinally thereof a temperature gradient as an incident to energization of said element, a circuit completing and interrupting unit slidably mounted on said heater and comprising a thermally responsive control element in contact with said sheath portion of said heater, and means for adjusting the position of said thermally responsive element along said sheathed end portion of said heater to utilize the temperature gradient of the latter for adjustment of control by said unit.

5. In combination, an electric heater of the tubular sheathed type characterized by having between points spaced longitudinally thereof a temperature gradient as an incident to energization of said element, an automatic circuit completing and interrupting unit slidably mounted on said sheath portion of said heater and comprising a thermally responsive control element in direct contact with said sheath portion of said heater, switch contacts operable by said element to complete and interrupt circuit according to the thermal condition of said element and manually operable means for adjust ing said element along said sheath portion of said heater to utilize the temperature gradient of the latter for adjustment of control by said unit or optionally to remove said contacts from influence by said thermally responsive control element.

6. In combination, an electric heater of the tubular sheathed type provided with a helical coil resistor having along a portion thereof adjacent a terminal extremity of said heater progressively increasing spaces between its coils in the direction of said extremity to effect a temperature gradient along the portion of the sheath of said heater overlying said portion of said resistor as an incident to energization of the latter, an automatic control unit for said heater slidably mounted on said sheath portion of said heater and comprising a thermally responsive control element in direct contact with said sheath portion of said heater, switch contacts to complete and interrupt circuit according to the thermal condition of said element, and manually operable means for adjusting said element along said sheath portion of said heater to utilize the temperature gradient of the latter for adjustment of control by said unit.

CLARENCE W. KUHN. EDWIN W. SEEGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,839,630 Williams Jan. 5, 1932 1,919,950 Kerr July 25, 1933 2,034,486 Rohne Mar. 17, 1936 2,060,713 Wright et al Nov. 10, 1936 

